001Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We're ready to begin this afternoon special board meeting. Sergeant-at-Arms, has the lobby been cleared? Yes. Thank you. At this time, we request all electronic devices be turned off or put in silent mode. The order of business is to call to order and I'm pleased to welcome you to the April 1st, 2026 school board special meeting. The time is 10:01 p.m. and this meeting is called to order. We would like to take this opportunity to remind the members of the public of the district's mission, which is to ensure each student achieves his or her highest personal potential in the district's vision to be a worldclass system. This afternoon agendas includes public comment, one item under board business, and three items under good of the order business. Board members, is there a
002motion to approve the agenda? Make a motion to approve the agenda as read. Mr. Ribble makes a motion. I'll second. And Miss Langford Fleming seconds. Please record your vote. Now you okay where is it? Okay. The motion carries 70. The next item on our agenda is public comment. Attorney Quick, please address the item of public comment or do we have any signed up for public comment? there's no one signed up for public comment at this time. Thank you. So, we can go past that. Our board business today is discussion of the interview timeline. As you know, we're scheduled to do interviews starting tomorrow, but several have come to me and said that they felt we actually only have three candidates at this time that they could go ahead and make a decision possibly today. But
003I wanted to open that up for discussion. if anyone would like to make a comment or discussion on that. Nope. U Miss Jordan. Well, I to me and this is not against anybody that has applied, but to me, we had a process in place and for when you just made mention of people coming to you and saying they could already decide today on who that will be does pose a problem as far as I'm concerned because I know even at the last time when we had the board of many of you were not here and it was on our one-on ones that we really decided on who that individual would be because I assume people did have thoughts in mind of who they thought would be the best when it came to reading everything. But
004then when it actually had the one the opportunity to speak to the individuals, I think a lot of us at that time changed our mind and then we wind up getting the attorney that we had. So to me to to ask people to go through this process and for us not to afford them the opportunity to to be heard from us. I think to me that's a that's an issue because who are we if we're not going to stand by what we are saying we're doing. Okay. Thank you. Any other comments? Mr. Ribble. Yeah, I have a comment. I I think to move forward with an interview process when we have somebody that's already been in in the position a good number of years. He has a lot of intellectual knowledge and I'm talking I'm
005referring to Rob Dodic. I think it would be a falsehood to interview folks on the pretenses that we're going to be considering them and wasting their time and wasting our time. I don't think there's a need to do that. So, those are my thoughts. Mr. Fischer, then Miss Janelli. Thank you, Chair. I'm going to ask a question through you to our attorney here. Sorry, I had to think for a second. Mr. Attorney, is there any legal, I guess, repercussions or is there anything out of the ordinary if we do not proceed with any interviews based on the process? Are we are there any legal issues with the process if we don't go ahead with the interviews? No. As long as No, it's I mean, as long as the decisions made for, you know, not for
006improper purposes, but I mean, if if the collective will of the of the board is, you know, there's somebody one of the applicants stands head above head and shoulders above the rest and that's who we want. I think you can can modify your process and say you know we're we're happy to start engaging negotiations with with that person. Thank you, Mr. Quick. Mr. Chair, may I continue with comment? Yes. Thank you, sir. I agree with Mr. Rible. I don't believe we should in this instance go forward with interviews. I would be supporting that position for Mr. Dodig. just the base of knowledge he has within school law especially I think is so tremendous and such a tremendous asset to not only this board in this district. His service he's done this he's done this job
007not just this but he's done it before. he's actually been a seamless fit with what we've had up here and been able to just step up and pick up right away. as I said, I mean, I've outside of this, I'm I'm probably the only one here in here that has actually hired attorneys before, and he checks the box for everything for me, and I'm saying that both as an attorney, as a board, and a board member. So, I think this should be a no-brainer, I guess, is the best way to say it. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Minelli, I would agree. I don't think it's necessary to spend the time to interview and anyone at this point when we have a candidate that stands above all of the applicants. right now he's doing the job as
008interim and I think he's the most qualified and experienced and he would have had my vote anyways and I would be you know I'm going to be very honest that he would have my vote and here we are today. Why would we schedule meetings and so forth and do that to to other individuals that could be applying for something else and you know and live you know that opportunity for them to look at other places when we have someone doing the job. Thank you. Thank you. Any other comments? Can we make a motion? Jordan raised her hand. I just and thank you all for what you said and again it's not about because I personally know Mr. Dodic and I have the full confidence in him. But for us to have even gone through and
009put HR and put everyone through even doing this process, we should have probably had that conversation earlier instead of going through there going through this and then being here today where we're at when he could have just stepped right in. Okay. I'd like let him in. I'd like my comment and then I'll open up for motions. at the time we set up this timeline, we had no idea how many applicants we would get or who they would be. And so you have to plan ahead. You can't wait and then try to to do that. we are down to three applicants right now. one that dropped out today. So I think that's the situation we're in. So I am I'm for go ahead and see if we can wrap this up today. U any would someone
010like to make a motion misselli? Yeah, I a motion to make Rob Dodig the inter from interim superintendent to superintendent. Listen me I'm giving you a new job. I apologize. interim board attorney school board attorney to school board attorney and engage in negotiations. I think we have to discuss who you know do we want the chair to go ahead and negotiate or do we want Mr. Quick to negotiate? How do we want to do we would want to do that but let's I guess handle my motion to make Rob Dodic the from interim to schoolboard attorney. Yeah. To enter into negotiations with Mr. Dodic to become permanent. Is that your motion or Yeah. Then then have Mr. Quick or who or you that's a guess that's a conversation. We'll do that in discussion. We don't
011have to make that part of the motion. Right. So my motion is to make Rob Dodic the from interim super interim schoolboard attorney to schoolboard attorney and enter into negotiations. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Fischer. I'll second that motion. Okay. Motion has been made by Miss Gioanelli and seconded by Mr. Fiser. Any discussion? Yes, M. Langford Plumbing. I just want to put it on record that I couldn't agree more that I believe that this is a great like you said a seamless transaction. I've had amazing one-on- ones and conversation consistent with Mr. Dodic which hasn't been the experience I had prior to. So I just want to say thank you for stepping into those shoes and you've done a great job you and the team. So great. Yes, M. Jordan. And I want to put on
012record that he is not being chosen because we had three and one dropped out because he is the right person for this job. Yes. Thank you. Well stated. All right. this will be a roll call vote. Mr. Fiser I. Mr. Ganelli. I. Mr. Ribble. I. Miss Jordan. Hi. Miss Langford Fleming. I. Mr. Chaviano. I Oh, let me think about it. And I am an I. Motion carries 70. Congratulations, Mr. Dog. We will enter into negotiation. All right. I'll get with attorney quick and we'll enter into negotiations. I think that's the best way to do it. sort of have a tenative contract already. I would, Mr. Chair, I would just ask for formal confirmation from the from the board that appointing you as a liazison. That would Yes, Mr. Fischer. Yes. I'd like to make a
013motion to approve that Mr. Persons enter in negotiations with Mr. Dodig to be the permanent schoolboard attorney and if he needs any assistance, obviously Mr. Qu. I'll second. All right. Motions was made and second. Any discussion? Seeing none, another roll call vote. Mr. Fischer. I. Mr. Janelli. Yes. Mr. Ribble. I. Miss Jordan. I. Miss Lford Fleming. I. M. Shaviano. I. And I'm an I. All right. Okay. We'll move on to the good of the order. Other business. Does anyone have any comments or reports? Mr. Fischer? Just congratulations again to Mr. Dodig and please get back to work, Miss Janelli. Yes, congratulations and thank you. Mr. Ribble, welld deserved, Miss Jordan, I don't have to tell you. Congratulations. All right, Miss Langford Fleming, congratulations and thank you for your service to this community and to this
014board. Thank you, Shabiano. I hope you know what you're doing. Not kidding. Congratulations. Excited to have you again. It's been I've had the same experience with the with the transfer, with everything that's gone on. you've been great. So, thank you so much. Looking forward to it. And I'm excited because with a operation this large, we need a solid steady person in the legal department there for the board. So, we're glad to have you on. Dr. Carlin, do you have any comments? Yes, sir, I do. Mr. Dota, congratulations. you and I have worked together in many, many capacities throughout this district and both of our times. And I just want to let you know that it is fantastic. I am so happy for you. I'm happy for us. I'm happy for this school board. you are
015true blue. You are a wonderful human being and a wonderful attorney. And I just think we are very blessed to have you. So, congratulations. All right. the next scheduled meeting of the board is Tuesday. Well, attorney Quick, do you have any comments? They didn't actually write down here, but technically you're I mean, just thank you all for having me. You know, congratulations again to to Mr. Dodig. I think you guys are getting a superstar. it's always a pleasure being out here. I love being out here in Lee County. So, thank you for having me. Mr. Fischer, just for housekeeping purposes, chair, are the interviews scheduled tomorrow canceled? They will be. Okay. I got a nod out there. Thank you. Okay. On Tuesday, April 14th, there will be a board workshop at 1 p.m. followed by
016board action meeting at 6 p.m. At this point, having no other business to come before the body and seem no objection, this meeting is adjourned. The time is 1:14 p.m. Thank you.